A record return pink salmon is expected this year in ports across the North Pacific. But is that good news? A new paper co-authored by Wild Salmon Center scientists shows that pink abundance is surging in response to climate change and ocean heating—and all those pinks are taking a toll on other species of Pacific salmon and steelhead, along with seabirds, humpback whales, and critically endangered Southern Resident killer whales. Pinks are an important economic and food species, but the causes and effects of their rapid expansion aren't yet widely understood. The study—the most comprehensive yet on the species—provides strong evidence that competition for prey is a key factor in the decline in other salmon species.
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